Real Money

Delta Expands Overseas Routes

The company plans to boost international flying by 25% next year.

Delta Air Lines ( DALR) announced a slew of new trans-Atlantic routes Tuesday, further mapping out its strategy of increasing flights overseas while reducing them at home.

The new routes fit into the No. 3 U.S. carrier's previously announced turnaround plan, which will expand international flying by 25% next year while reducing domestic mainline capacity by 15% to 20%.

Delta, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month, hopes lower labor costs and a restructured route network will make it viable once again.

The carrier will add seven new nonstop routes from May 4 to June 6. They include flights from the carrier's Atlanta hub to Athens, Greece; Edinburgh, Scotland; Nice, France; and Venice, Italy.

From New York's John F. Kennedy airport, Delta plans flights to Budapest, Hungary; Dublin, Ireland; and Manchester, England. Delta may also begin flying from New York to Kiev, Ukraine, if it gets U.S. and foreign government approval.

The airline has previously announced new service next spring from Atlanta to Copenhagen, Denmark; Dusseldorf, Germany; and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Delta says the additions will make it the world's largest trans-Atlantic carrier. For the new routes, the airline will employ wide-body airplanes pulled from less-profitable domestic routes.

The carrier has suffered from low-cost competition at home. Sky-high fuel prices helped to push it into bankruptcy. International routes tend to be more profitable, as they see less low-cost competition.

Delta shares, which are likely to be rendered worthless if and when the carrier emerges from bankruptcy protection, traded up 4 cents to 66 cents Tuesday.